This archive report was first published on 11 July 2019.
Published on July 11, 2019, a time when the last remnants of Southern California's orange groves were still standing. Today, the landscape has changed dramatically.
Ms. Cowsill, a 64-year-old pharmacy technician, now lives on a hay farm in Oregon. She recalls the rapid decline of the orange groves in the 1960s, saying, 'It happened so quickly. It's sad.'
The Bothwell property, nestled between Woodland Hills and Tarzana neighborhoods, is a prime example of this transformation. The area is now plagued by a severe housing shortage, partly due to resistance to building more affordable homes. However, development on the Bothwell property would likely have little impact on access to affordable housing, given the surrounding multi-million-dollar homes with expansive grounds and amenities.
Todd Pratt, a manager partner at Evolution Strategic, a Los Angeles development company, believes it's 'completely unfeasible' to maintain the property as a viable farmed land. He suggests that the city needs to grow and evolve, and that the historic farm should be developed, with perhaps a small portion preserved as a park.
City Council member Mr. Blumenfield is confident that his colleagues will cooperate in designating the property as a historic site. This would give the city leverage to request the preservation of some of the grove and its potential opening to the public for educational and historical purposes.
Jeff Ward, the fourth-generation owner of E. Waldo Ward & Son, a shop selling jams and marmalades in Sierra Madre, has witnessed the decline of nearby groves. He notes, 'Things change.'
As the last remnants of Southern California's orange groves disappear, it's essential to consider the impact of development on the region's history and identity.
